The Perfect 2 Week Sardinia Itinerary - Combining stunning beaches and charming coastal towns

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When I was planning my trip to Sardinia I really didn’t know where to start because there are so many beautiful places to choose from. After exploring the island extensively I have found my favorites and put them together in what I think is an amazing 2 week itinerary for Sardinia.

This itinerary is pretty packed so if you want to relax more you can definitely choose to slow it down and I will tell you where I would stay longer below. If you want to see as much as possible and both enjoy some of the prettiest beaches in the world and some incredibly charming coastal towns, this itinerary is for you.

How to get to Sardinia - and where to start this itinerary

Sardinia has two main airports: Olbia and Cagliari. For this itinerary, I recommend starting in Olbia and finishing there as well, since it’s closest to both the Baunei Coast and La Maddalena, where your trip will wrap up in pure island bliss. If you want to fly in to Cagliari you just twist this itinerary around since it goes in a loop all over the island.

Renting a car in Sardinia

Trust me when I say you need a car in Sardinia, especially for this itinerary. Public transport doesn’t quite cut it, especially if you want to reach secluded beaches or charming smaller towns. Rent your car at the airport in Olbia and make sure it’s small enough to handle narrow village streets.

👉🏻 Use Discover Cars and find the best prices for renting a car in Sardinia here.

Days 1–4 of your Sardinia Itinerary: Baunei Coast

After you land, jump in your rental car and drive towards the Baunei Coast. Olbia is absolutely a cute city and I would choose to stay there for a couple of days if you have more time, but for this itinerary head straight to Cala Ganone!

The Baunei Coast has some of the most stunning beaches in the world and the area deserves at least a coupe of days. If you want to spend most of your time relaxing at a beach in Sardinia than you might want to add even more days here.

My favorite places to stay in Cala Ganone

Hotel Nuraghe Arvu Resort

Stunning boutique Hotel with a pool and mountain view

Hotel Bue Marino

This is a great budget friendly stay with great location on the marina

Hotel Brancamaria

This is a modern hotel with elegant rooms and a stunning sea view

Hotel Pranos

Stunning hotel a bit up the mountain for amazing views

Hotel Caramera

This is a beachfront hotel with elegant rooms

Day 1 - Drive to Cala Ganone

After landing, head straight to Cala Ganone and check in, if you land early you might want to grab some lunch or stroll the streets of Olbia before driving. When you get to Cala Ganone it might be tricky to find parking, but it’s possible to park all along the street up the mountain so leave your luggage at the hotel if you need to and drive up again to park. I promise it’s not as bad as it might seem. There are lots of beautiful cities around the Baunei coast but I would choose to stay in Cala Ganone because this is where most of the boat trips to the beaches go from. It’s also a very cozy town in the evening.

Day 2 - Take a boat trip along the coast

Today I recommend getting on a boat to explore the different beaches and swim in the crystal clear water. If you want you can rent your own boat, but I loved our guided trip because I probably wouldn’t have found all the amazing spots our skipper knew about.

Make sure to book a trip with a small boat. They cost a bit more, but the bigger boats are packed with way too many people and the boat is too big to anchor up at any of the smaller beaches. So, if you’re doing a boat trip, make sure it’s a small boat. You wont regret it!

Boat tour from Cala Ganone

This is the trip we did with a small boat and loved!

Day 3 - Hike to Cala Galoritze

Today I would head to one of the most stunning beaches in the world, Cala Galoritze. It’s quite the hike, but absolutely worth it. I you don’t want to hike, it’s possible to get there by boat, but you can’t anchor the boat at the beach, so it does include some swimming. I never saw anyone do it though, everyone I saw came down from the hike.

Day 4 - More beach bliss

Today just pick a beach you prefer, either do another boat tour, hike or just relax at the beach in Cala Ganone. No matter what you choose you can’t go wrong. My advise is to take a boat from Cala Ganone and head to Cala Luna, they have direct boats every day so you can spend the day relaxing here.

Day 5-6 of your 2 weeks in Sardinia: Cagliari

The capital of Sardinia is a vibrant and often underrated city. It’s bigger than most of the cities in Sardinia so it‘s up to you if this is your vibe. I had an amazing time exploring this city. Even if it’s a bit bigger you can see the highlights in a day or two.

My favorite places to stay in Cagliari

La Villa del Mare

If you want a place close to the beach, this is a great option

Hotel Villa Fannt

Stunning boutique Hotel in the city center. My favorite!

Neko Boutique Hotel

Modern hotel with amazing design choices

Hotel Regina Margherita

Upscale hotel with perfect location

Palzzio Doglio

If you want to pamper yourself this is the place to be!

Day 5 - Drive to Cagliari and enjoy the charming city

If you want an alternative route to Cagliari you can choose to mix up the days in Cala Ganone and do the Cala Galoritze hike today and then drive to Cagliari afterwards. Cala Galoritze is after all on the way to Cagliari. But it’s a long drive so it depends on your preferences.

When you arrive head into the city to explore the charming Castello district for sunset and head into town for a lovely dinner.

Day 6 - Explore Cagliari

Spend this day exploring the charming city of Cagliari. I would make sure to head to the botanical gardens and the roman amphitheater. You can’t actually go in to the theater, but you can get some pretty spectacular views from the outside.

My favorite tours do take in Cagliari

Cagliari: Sailing Tour, Snorkeling, and Prosecco Toast

Cagliari : Private Custom Walking Tour with Local Guide

Small-Group Food and Wine Tour from Cagliari

Tour “La Dolce Vita” stops for swimming, Snorkeling and Prosecco

Days 7–8 of 14 days in Sardinia: Bosa

The charming town of Bosa is so underrated and I loved it there! It seems like many people choose to take a daytrip to Bosa, but I highly recommend spending a night there to really see the charm of the city.

Another cute town to consider is Castelsardo. I loved them both, but Bosa took the lead so that’s what I chose to add here. But if you have more time you can add both to your itinerary. Another place I visited nearby was Oristane. I had read so much about it, but I’m sorry to say I was a bit disappointed. Compared to all the beautiful towns in Sardinia, this was probably my least favorite. So if you’re considering that one, know that I would choose both Bosa and Castelsardo over it.

My favorite places to stay in Bosa

Hotel Corte Fiorita

Cute historic building on the banks of the river in Bosa

Palazzo Pischedda

Elegant hotel full of character and charm

Bosa Guest House

A budget friendly stay in the city center

Giardini Malaspina

Hotel with countryside luxury just outside the city

Day 7 - Drive to Bosa with optional stops on the way

Today it‘s time to drive from Cagliari to Bosa. You can choose to make this trip a bit more exciting with a stop on the way at the Arenas Biancas beach. It’s a small detour but the beach is really nice. If not, just head straight to Bosa and enjoy the sunset in the charming city.

Day 8 - Explore the colorful town of Bosa

Bosa is not the biggest city in the world, but it has so much charm that you wont regret spending a night. So today is all about exploring the small streets, walking up to the Castello Malaspina for some amazing views and relaxing with a glass of wine.

Day 9 - 10 of your Itinerary in Sardinia: Alghero

Next up is Alghero. I spent a couple of days here and found the city super charming. It feels a bit more touristy than Cagliari in my opinion, but the old town and seaside promenade is absolutely stunning.

My favorite places to stay in Alghero

Villa Moscha

Stunning art nouveau villa by the sea

Hotel Domomea

Sleek and stylish boutique hotel with a central location

Hotel Catalunya

Beautiful hotel with an absolutely amazing rooftop bar

Carlos V Hotel

Luxury feel with a seafront view

Day 9 - Drive to Alghero and explore the old town

Hit the road in the morning so you can spend most of the day in Alghero. When you arrive head to the old town to explore and get lost in the cozy streets. Make sure to enjoy the sunset along the promenade along Bastioni, it’s absolutely stunning!

Day 10 - Hike to Grotta Brocche Rotte and drive to Santa Teresa Gallura

If you feel you want to explore more of Alghero city you can choose to do that. If not, I advise you to head to Grotta Brocche Rotte for a short hike to a super cute grotto with stunning views. After that head towards to Santa Teresa Gullare and have an evening swim or just some delicious seafood.

My favorite tours in Alghero

Catamaran in Alghero, daily boat trip

Sunset Tour with visit and guided tasting of 5 wines and local products

Days 11–12 of your two weeks in Sardinia: Santa Teresa Gallura

This was another favorite of mine in Sardinia! Santa Teresa Gallura is a small town, but the beaches surrounding it are absolutely insane! Capo Testa is wild and wonderfully dramatic with granite rock formations that look like another planet and beaches tucked between the cliffs.

My favorite places to stay in Santa Teresa Gallura

Hotel Corallaro

Charming hotel steps away from Rena Bianca beach

GH Diana

Very nice hotel with a great pool and central location

Il Busciolotto

Incredibly charming rooms and just a quick walk to the beach

The Felix Hotel

Ultimate spot if you want to splurge a bit in Sardinia

Moresco Hotel

A modern and luxurious hotel right by the beach

Day 11 - Relax at Cala Spinoza

Cala Spinoza is one of my favorite beaches on Sardinia. It’s absolutely stunning and also a bit easier to get to than some of the others. If you visit during high season you should prioritize to get there early to get decent parking, but don’t stress too much, it’s Italy after all.

Day 12 - Pick another beach in the area and enjoy!

There are so many stunning beaches around this area so you could easily spend much more time here. So today either spend the day at the beach Rena Bianca in Santa Teresa Gallura or head to Rena di Ponente. If your fed up with beaches you can also spend parts of the day exploring Valle Della Luna.

If you decide to add a last stop in La Maddalena or Palau, I suggest you drive there in the afternoon so you have a full day there tomorrow.

My favorite tours from Santa Teresa Gallura

Sailing boat from Santa Teresa di Gallura to the Maddalena Archipelago

Corsica Tour by Sailboat from Santa Teresa di Gallura

Private market tour, lunch or dinner and cooking demo in Santa Teresa di Gallura

Days 13–14 of your Sardinian trip: La Maddalena or Palau

This is the last stop on your Sardinian itinerary and you can choose which town to end your trip in. Where you choose to stay will probably depend on how tight your schedule is and what time of the day your flight leaves. If you’re stretched for time it might be best to stay in Palau and take boat tours out to the different beaches. This is what I did. However it needs to be said that Palau in itself is not my favorite town in Sardinia. There’s nothing directly wrong with it, it’s just a bit boring compared to all the other beautiful cities. It’s however the best base for boat tours.

Alternatively you can choose to base yourself on Isla Maddalena if you have a late flight home or the possibility to stay one more night. Isla Maddalena is a truly charming town so that’s what I would do. You will find amazing boat tours from here as well, the only reason I might not want to stay here is if my flight left early because it‘s a bit trickier to get to the airport from here than Palau.

Another option is to keep staying in Santa Teresa Gallura and drive down to Palau in the morning for boat tours.

My favorite places to stay on Isla Maddalena

Hotel Excelsior

Luxorious boutique hotel right in town

Residenza Mordini

An historic mansion turned into an elegant hotel

Villa del Parco

A quiet and romantic stay

Grand Hotel Ma&Ma

This is a full on luxury resort where you can pamper yourself!

My favorite places to stay in Palau

Hotel Palau

Elegant hotel with stunning views of Isla Maddalena

Capo D’Orso Thalasso

If you want luxury treatment, this is the place to stay

Club Esse Posada

Budget friendly hotel with all the amenities you need

Day 13 - Explore Isla Maddalena by boat

No matter where you end up staying I would do a boat tour around the area today. We took a guided boat tour from Palau and it took us to so many amazing beaches and places where we could just jump in and swim in the water around the boat. Some trips also take you on a visit to Isla Maddalena.

Day 14 - Last Day on Sardinia

What you do today depends on when your flight leaves. If you have time you can enjoy some more beach time, or possibly head to Olbia for a stroll and a lunch on your way to the airport.

My favorite tours from Palau

Sailing La Maddalena Archipelago with a USCG licensed captain

Dinghy tour in La Maddalena Archipel from Palau

Luxury Catamaran in the Maddalena Archipelago from PALAU

Final thoughts: Two week itinerary Sardinia

I hope this itinerary helps you plan your adventure on Sardinia! No matter where you go and how long you choose to stay, I can safely say that Sardinia is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been and I’m definitely coming back.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me on social media. I would love to connect and help out.

Have an amazing adventure!

- Ingrid